The High Court rejects extension, holding AICTE’s calendar applicability limited to newly affiliated institutes—upholding state’s counselling timeline in technical education admissions.
Summary
| Category | Data |
|---|---|
| Case Name | WPC/4674/2025 of GDR EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY Vs STATE OF CHHATTISGARH |
| CNR | CGHC010375742025 |
| Decision Date | 02-09-2025 |
| Disposal Nature | DISMISSED |
| Judgment Author | Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice |
| Court | High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur |
| Bench | Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice; Hon’ble Shri Bibhu Datta Guru, Judge |
| Questions of Law | Does AICTE’s Academic Calendar for 2025-26 permit already affiliated technical institutes to extend the counselling schedule beyond the State’s prescribed dates? |
| Ratio Decidendi | The petitioners, as already affiliated to the State technical university, had participated in three rounds of counselling under the State’s schedule. The AICTE Academic Calendar extension to 15th September 2025 applies only to newly affiliated institutes. A plea to extend counselling based on vacant seats and AICTE timelines cannot override the State’s prescribed process once participation has occurred. |
| Logic / Jurisprudence / Authorities Relied Upon by the Court | The court examined the affiliation record (Annexure P-3) and the AICTE Academic Calendar 2025-26. It contrasted the State-prescribed counselling rounds—of which the petitioner had availed itself—with the limited scope of the AICTE extension for new entrants. No external precedents were cited; the decision rested on documentary interpretation and administrative scope. |
| Facts as Summarised by the Court | The petitioner runs a technical college affiliated to Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University and took part in three rounds of State-conducted counselling. Despite over 475 seats remaining vacant, it sought quashing of the counselling cutoff and extension to 15th September 2025 per AICTE. The State defended its transparent, three-round process and restricted AICTE relief to newly affiliated colleges. |
What’s New / What Lawyers Should Note
- Clarification that the AICTE Academic Calendar extension applies only to institutes newly affiliated in the relevant session.
- Institutes already affiliated and having participated in prescribed counselling rounds cannot seek time-schedule extensions based on AICTE timelines.
- Mere vacancy of seats does not justify judicial interference in administrative admission schedules once an institute has joined existing counselling rounds.
Summary of Legal Reasoning
- Verified petitioner’s status as an already affiliated technical institution (Annexure P-3) and its participation in three counselling rounds.
- Noted AICTE’s Academic Calendar 2025-26 permits counselling until 15th September only for newly affiliated institutes.
- Held that no arbitrary or high-handed action was taken by the State in prescribing a 14th August cutoff for regular affiliates.
- Concluded that extending the counselling period on grounds of vacant seats would conflict with the limited scope of AICTE’s extension.
- Dismissed the petition for lack of merit.
Arguments by the Parties
Petitioner:
- AICTE Academic Calendar 2025-26 allows admissions until 15th September 2025.
- Over 475 seats remain vacant; foreclosure of counselling amounts to arbitrariness.
- Seeks quashing of the 14th August cutoff and extension of counselling schedule.
State (Respondent No. 1 & 2):
- Conducted three transparent counselling rounds with full information disclosure.
- Petitioner, already affiliated, participated in all rounds; AICTE extension applies only to newly affiliated institutions.
- No ground exists for judicial extension of counselling beyond the prescribed State schedule.
Factual Background
The petitioner, GDR Educational Society, operates RSR Rungta College of Engineering & Technology under affiliation to Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University. It offers nine undergraduate and seven postgraduate technical courses. The State’s Directorate of Technical Education fixed counselling rounds ending 14th August 2025; petitioner joined all three rounds but found over 475 seats vacant and sought relief under AICTE’s calendar extending admissions to 15th September 2025. The State defended its schedule as final for established colleges, prompting the writ petition.
Statutory Analysis
- AICTE Act, 1987: Constitutes AICTE and empowers it to issue an Academic Calendar.
- AICTE Academic Calendar 2025-26: Permits admissions up to 15th September 2025, expressly for newly affiliated institutes.
- Chhattisgarh Society Registration Act, 1973: Establishes the petitioner’s institution.
Alert Indicators
- ✔ Precedent Followed – Court affirmed the limited applicability of administrative academic calendars and refrained from expanding judicial review over admission schedules.